The present invention relates to fences, and specifically to a modular fencing system including pre-cast concrete panels.
Concrete fences and walls find many applications for outdoor use in landscaping, or as sound barriers to protect residents near noisy highways and airports. Modular fence and wall systems including pre-formed panels are known. Such systems are often assembled from modular panels which are connected by fitting a protrusion on an end of one panel or column into a recess in an end of an adjacent panel or column. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,802,409, U.S. Pat. No. 6,827,336, U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,404, U.S. Pat. No. 5,373,678 and US Patent Application Publication 2010/0314596 describe such systems. However, such fencing systems need to be assembled progressively from one end so that the end of a newly added panel can connect properly to previously placed panels. This requirement limits flexibility during the assembly process, as it may not be easy or even possible to independently assemble sections of the fence which are separate from each other, and to connect the individual sections later by adding panels between the sections. Furthermore, it can be difficult and costly to replace a damaged panel in the middle of a fencing run. Sufficient clearance is required within the end connections between the panels and the columns in order for the panel to be removed and replaced, and in many cases, the damaged panel must be lifted its entire vertical height to clear the adjacent fence sections while the replacement panel to be added must also be inserted from a similar height. Therefore, there is a need in the art for alternative concrete fencing systems which can address one or more of the above-mentioned issues.